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University of Newcastle upon Tyne

School of Marine Science & Technology

Newcastle University (UNEW) is one of the largest universities in the UK, offering study in a wide range of subjects with over 18,412 students from the UK and overseas. UNEW has 4,796 full-time staff, of which 2,182 are academic and research staff, supported by postgraduate students and technical staff. The School of Marine Science and Technology is the largest and most broad-based marine department in Europe, covering the fields of Naval Architecture, Marine Engineering, Small Craft Technology, Offshore Engineering, Oceanography, Marine Biology and Coastal Management. The School’s current research areas include marine environmental sustainability and safety, marine innovative design and manufacturing process, marine and offshore structures and materials, marine informatics and control, marine hydrodynamics and propulsion, surface and underwater robotic systems, marine bio-fouling / antifouling, marine chronobiology, marine invertebrate reproduction, coastal management, marine systems ecology and marine aquaculture. There are currently over 20 EU-FP6/FP7 supported projects being carried out within School. The School has comprehensive marine testing facilities in model and full-scale including the UK’s only propeller cavitation tunnel The Emerson Cavitation Tunnel’ and modern catamaran research vessel, ‘The Princess Royal’, designed by UNEW for cavitation and propulsion research and built locally. Together with Towing tank, unique combined wind-wave-current tank, Jones Engine Laboratory, various marine aquaria, flow cell and Dove Marine Laboratory facilities, UNEW is the member of the Advisory council and other technical committees of the International Towing Tank (ITTC).

School of Chemistry

Newcastle University is among the top 20 higher education institutions in the UK in terms of research power, according to the influential professional publication, Research Fortnight. This is based on the results of the Research Assessment Exercise 2008, which found that in over two thirds of subjects assessed, at least half of all research was placed in the top two categories of 4* (world leading) and 3* (internationally excellent). The University also has one of the largest European Union research portfolios in the UK and has research links with many other countries. It is a member of the prestigious Russell Group, comprising 20 leading research institutions in the UK and in the year ended 31 July 2011, its total research income equalled €112 million.

Newcastle University has extensive experience of managing EU projects and successfully administered 140 projects in FP6 to the value of €50 million. It currently has over 195 projects in FP7 with contracts either signed or in the process of negotiation and worth over €63 million to the University. In 2010, the University won the Times Higher Education Leadership and Management Award for the 'Outstanding Research Management Team'. The University has a dedicated EU contracts team within Research and Enterprise Services, which manages projects through the application, award and negotiation phases. A dedicated EU accountancy team within the Contract Financial Management team handles post-award financial issues and use the latest upgrade of management information software available (SAP Version 6.0). The team is responsible for the preparation of cost statements for the project as frequently as required by the contract and the arrangement of audits where necessary. During the period 2009-2012, eight Newcastle University FP7 projects were selected for audit by the European Commission. On each occasion the auditors concluded that the financial management of the projects was carried out in an 'acceptable manner' and in compliance with the requirements of the contracts. In addition, at the end of 2008 and again at the start of 2009, the European Court of Auditors selected two large collaborative projects coordinated by Newcastle University for process compliance testing. Feedback has indicated that there were 'no matters of material concern'. A recent Research Councils UK (RCUK) Audit has awarded Newcastle the top mark of 'Substantial Assurance', one of only a few universities to have been awarded this status.